1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly but not exclusively to debugging of computer systems in the field.
2. Description of the Background Art
Most manufacturers do their best to ensure that their products work as intended. However, even with tight quality control, defective products can and do leave the factory. This is especially true with relatively complex products like computer systems. The troubleshooting of defective computer systems is also referred to as “debugging.” For example, a defective computer program may be troubleshot by placing it in debug mode. In debug mode, the program writes out debug information, such as register and variable contents, texts and comments placed at certain points of the program, and other information indicative of the internal operation of the program, to a debug log. The contents of the debug log may be displayed on a computer screen as debug information is received or stored in mass storage for later analysis. The debugging of computer systems is usually difficult whether at the factory or in the field at a customer site. However, having to debug the computer system at the customer site is especially difficult given customer expectations and more so when there are no field service personnel available in the area. To make matters worse, some computer systems, such as network security appliances and other special purpose computers, may be too difficult for the customer to troubleshoot even with remote help from customer service or may not have enough computing resources to facilitate debugging.